Portable can package



Oct. 29, 1957 E. 1.. ARNESON 2,811,250

PORTABLE CAN PACKAGE Filed May 1, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 29, 1957 E. ARNESON 2,811,250

PORTABLE CAN PACKAGE Filed May 1, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

[Q2002 [.drrzeaa/z Patented Oct. 29, 1957 PORTABLE CAN PACKAGE Edwin L. Arneson, Morris, 11]., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Federal Paper Board Company, 1nc., Bogota, N. J., a corporation of New York Application May 1, 1952, Serial No. 285,383

2 Claims. (Cl. 20665) The present invention relates to an improved portable package consisting of a plurality of chime-type containers, such as the conventional cans commonly employed in the sale of beer, food products, and the like, and an improved and highly simplified paperboard carrier featuring novel provisions to afford a suspending handle which is located in an improved relation to the cans packaged by the carrier.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a package of the foregoing description in which the carrier is fabricated from a flexible paperboard blank of absolutely minimum size and includes a handle died out of the carrier top wall panel the handle being related to certain apertures adjoining the top wall panel and the side walls of the carrier in such fashion that the cans of the package are effectively gripped and held in a nonrattling way when the package is lifted by the handle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a can package of the foregoing description which occupies little or no more space, when the packages are stacked one on another in vertical order and side by side, than would be required for the similar stacking of the cans themselves, the stacked packages being free from projecting handles or other space consuming members.

It is a further object of the invention, from a practical manufacturers point of view, to provide a can package including a plurality of chimed cans and a paperboard carrier therefor fabricated from a blank of minimum size, in which the carrier may be assembled automatically by standard equipment and may be associated with the cans in an easy and expeditious fashion.

Yet another object of the invention, in one of the embodiments illustrated therein, is to provide a package having the foregoing advantages, plus the further advantage that the cans are positively restrained at the ends of the package from inadvertent displacement therefrom, the material of the carrier in this instance being died out at its ends or corners in a manner to further the snug engagement of the articles by its suspending handle when the package is lifted and transported.

In general, it is an object of the invention to provide a package which, in either embodiment thereof, includes a. number of uniformly sized cans or equivalent containers and a paperboard carrier therefor, and in which a simple flexible suspending handle is died out of the material of the carrier, the carrier being specially cut in the zone of the junction of its side and top walls adjacent the handle, whereby portions of the latter are caused to grip the rims of the cans when the carrier is lifted and transported, exerting transverse and longitudinal compressive force on the cans so as to hold the same snugly against rattling, even if the package is violently shaken.

It is also an object to provide a carrier of the sort referred to above.

The foregoing statements are indicative in a general way of the character of the invention. Other and more specific objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the nature of the package.

Two embodiments of the invention are presented for purpose of illustration. It will be appreciated that the invention may be incorporated in other modified forms coming equally within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a paperboard blank employed in fabricating the carrier of the improved package, in accordance with one embodiment thereof, illustrating the manner in which the blank is preliminariiy died out, slitted and creased;

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation of the completed package, indicating the compactness of its over-ail outline.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the package as suspended by its handle for transportation, indicating how the cans of the package are gripped in non rattling relation;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the package illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view in transverse vertical section along line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a flexible paperboard blank employed in manufacturing the carrier of a modified embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the completed package in the non-suspended relationship of the parts, as when the package is stacked;

Fig. 8 is a view in transverse vertical section along line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the package in the position of the parts when the latter is suspended; and

Fig. 10 is a view in transverse vertical section along line 1010 of Fig. 9.

Fig. l of the drawings, illustrates a blank 10 employed in fabricating the carrier according to one modification of the package, Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 representing further views of this embodiment. The blank is of rectangular outline, elongated in the horizontal direction, as illustrated. It is subdivided by transversely disposed creases in the following manner:

A series of aligned creases 11, and intervening, ap-

.; proximately semicircular openings 12 serve to outline and to bendably hinge together the adjoining margins of a bottom forming panel 13 at the left hand end of the blank and a side wall panel 14. A similar aligned series of creases 15 and intervening openings 16 at the opposite end of the blank similarly outline and hingedly articulate adjoining margins of a second bottom forming panel 17 and a second side wall panel 18. It should be noted that the semicircular openings 12, 16, which lie along the bottom side margins of the completed rectangular package (see Fig. 3), are disposed so as to intersect the line of the respective series of creases 11, 15. A chordlike straight edge 19 of each of these openings extends into the respective bottom forming panels 13, 17 a distance approximately equal to the vertical dimension of the bead or chime 20 of a can 21 (see Figs. 25) to be packaged by the carrier. The carrier is generally designated 22.

A top panel 23 is integrally hinged to the side margin of each of the side wall panels 14, 18 by means of the transversely aligned series of short creases 24, 25, respectivcly, and a handle construction, generally designated by the reference numeral 26, is taken from the material of the top and side wall panels by slitting and dieing out the blank 10. In doing this, a handle grip portion 27 is outlined by forming generally rectangular holes 28 in transversely spaced relation to one another within the limits of top panel 23. These holes are straight sided along their parallel outer edges, denoted by reference numeral 29 and, though generally rectangular, are rounder at their opposite corners to define the grip 27 and laterally projecting shoulder areas 30 adjoining both sides of the opposite ends of the latter.

Shoulders 30 are separated from top panel 23 by longitudinally extending slits 31, or by nicked cuts or perforated lines adapted to sever readily, which slits or lines are, in effect. extensions of the edges 29 of the openings 28. The outer extremities of slits 31 merge with semicircular openings 32, of which there are four, one at either corner of the handle member 26.

The arcuate portion of openings 32 extend into the respective side wall panels 14, 18 about the same distance as corresponding portions of the previously described semicircular openings 12, 16. Transversely extending straight portions or edges 33 of openings 32 travel inwardly to intersect slits 31 at the handle shoulders 30. These edges 33 are located substantially inwardly in top panel 23 from the respective sets of aligned creases 24, 25. All of this is with the object of adding flexibility to handle 26 and portions of the upper margins of the side wall panels 14, 18 which immediately adjoin the handle shoulders 30.

Further generally semicircular openings 34 are formed at the junction of the side wall and top panels, along the longitudinal center line of blank 10 and of its handle member 26. They are arranged relative to the side and top wall panels 14, 18 and 23, with respect to the extent which they project into those panels, in the same way as the openings 32. The aligned short creases 24, 25, which coincide with the opposite side margins of top panels 23, are located at the approximate longitudinal midpoint of the respective series of openings 32, 34.

Thus it is seen that the dieing out of the blank to provide the substantial sized can accommodating and gripping openings 32, 34 the provision of the creases 24, 25, and the freeing of handle member 26 from the top and side wall panels by the slits 31 and aforesaid openings impart substantial flexibility to the handle, with regard to its connection to the side wall panels 14, 18. The same is true with reference to the dieing out and creasing of the blank to provide the bottom side margin openings 12, 16 and the hinged connections 11, 15, respectively, of the side walls to the bottom forming panels 13, 17.

The completed package is assembled by arranging a number of the cans 21, for instance six cans in two rows of three each, and the blank 10, prepared as described above is sleeved snugly around the assembled cans. The bottom panels 13, 17 are secured in overlapped relation to one another by glue, stitches, or the like. Referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings, the lower beads or chimes 20 of the cans are thus nested in the carrier bottom openings 12, 16 and the upper beads or chimes are received in like manner in the openings 32, 34 adjoining handle member 26.

A snug package results, having the outline in end elevation illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings when the package is stacked or not suspended. The corners of the top and bottom panels have edge engagement with the ends of the cans 21 at the openings referred to, to prevent inadvertent displacement of the cans when the packages are handled in stacking or storing. In use in transporting the package, the grip 27 of handle 26 is grasped by the user. As the package is lifted the straplike connections 35 of the handle to the side walls adjoining the shoulder creases 24, 25 are drawn inwardly to a substantial degree as illustrated particularly in Figs. 4 and of the drawings, and a similar effect, in lesser degree, occurs at the bottom of the package. The straps 35 engage the beads 20 of the three cans on either side of the package, so that the cans are urged inwardly in the transverse direction and are separated from one another endwise or longitudinally. The successive cans thus are gripped effectively in the spaces therebetween. This at the same time permits the handle grip 27 to be drawn upwardly substantially, as shown in Fig. 5, enabling a convenient and comfortable grasp of the hantile member.

The cans are snugly held in non-rattling manner, yet the handle pro-visions do not require any further mate- .'al than is involved in the manufacture of a simple, rectangular sleeve type of package. The character and position of the bead-receiving openings 32, 34 is such that tension at the ends of the handle is borne Without tendency to tear into the material of the side walls 14, l-i. Similarly no substantial tearing stress is exerted longitudinully of the handle strap creases 24, 25.

A modified adaptation of the carrier of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 6-l0 inclusive of the drawings, representing an improvement on a carton construction which is the subject matter for a copending application for Letters Patent of Lawrence E. Arneson, Serial No. 237,207, filed July l7, 1951, now Patent No. 2,751,075, granted June l9, 1956. In this modified adaptation the provisions for nesting the chimes 20 of the cans are related in an improved manner with a slitted handle construction generally similar to that described above with reference to Figs. l-S. To the extent that the construction of the blank 36 employed in the manufacture of the modified embodiment is similar to that employed in forming the carton of the above identified Arneson application, the same will be but briefly and generally described.

Referring to Fig. 6, the paperboard blank 36 includes a bottom forming panel 37 at its left hand end which is of generally rectangular, rounded end shape, having bottom end closure flaps 38 hinged by creases 39 to opposite end margins thereof. Opposed ears or tabs 40 extend longitudinally in opposite directions from flaps 38, being hinged thereto by short creases 41. Bottom panel 37 is integrally hinged to a side wall panel 42 by transversely extending crease 43 coinciding with the side margin of panel 37, and the side wall panel 42 is provided with rectangular end closure flaps 44 at opposite ends thereof, integrally hinged thereto by longitudinal creases 45.

A top panel 46 is outlined and integrally hinged to the side wall panel 42 by an aligned series of creases 47 and intervening arcuate opening 48, and this top panel is similarly outlined and hinged to a second side Wall panel 49 by means of a similar series of short creases 50 and intervening arcuate opening 51. As in the first embodiment, the arcuate edge of the openings 48, 51 project well into the side wall panels 42, 49. The straight, chord-like side 52 of these respective openings extend into the area of top panel 46, in order to accommodate the chime of the centermost can of a threecan series.

A handle member, generally designated 53, is separated from the top panel 46 by means of longitudinally extending slits 54 and side openings 55, as in the previously described embodiment. Outwardly curved extensions 56 at the ends of the respective slits 54 extend well into the material of the side wall panels 42, 49, branching outwardly of the strap like handle connections 58 to the side wall panels.

Top panel 46 is, like the bottom panel 37, provided with bottom end closure flaps 59, hinged thereto by creases 60, and laterally extending tabs or cars 61 are hinged to flaps 59 by short creases 62. Likewise, the second side wall panel 49 has end closure flaps 63 on opposite ends thereof by creases 64. The right hand margin of panel 49 is provided with a glue lap 65, this being hinged to the panel by transverse crease 66.

It will be noted by reference to Fig. 6, that the ends of the side wall closure flaps 44 are set inwardly of the respective creases 43, 47 and 57, 66 which define the side margins of the wall panels 42, 49 on which those flaps are mounted. Accordingly, as illustrated in Fig. 7 and as described in the Arneson application identified above, arcuate slots 68 are provided at each of the corners of the rounded end package for the snug reception of the beads 20 of the endmost cans. When the package is lifted and transported by grasping handle member 53, the shoulder strap connections 58 of the latter are drawn inwardly between the successive cans, causing the latter to be wedged apart and the endmost can beads 20 to be urged still more snugly into the corner slots 68, while as the center openings 48, 51 nest inwardly over the upper edges of the centermost cans. This enables handle member 53 to be conveniently and comfortably grasped by the user in the position illustrated in Figs. 9 and of the drawings.

The blank 36, formed as described, is assembled to a number of the cans in the following manner. The bottom panel 37, side walls 42, 49 and top panel 46 are sleeved around the assembled cans, with glue lap 56 adhered to the free edge of bottom panel 37. The two center cans are received at their upper beads by the respective openings 48, 51, just as in the first described adaptation of the invention. Bottom and top end closure flaps 38, 59 are then shaped toward one another over the outer end surface of the two pairs of endmost cans, the ears 40, 61 being drawn oppositely about the vertical curvatures thereof. Side wall end closure flaps 44, 63 are then wrapped around the thus disposed ears and secured thereto, as by means of adhesive indicated by stippling in Fig. 1.

I claim:

1. A portable package comprising a set of tubular containers arranged in at least two parallel longitudinal series, and a flexible paperboard carrier comprising a bottom upon which said containers rest, side wall panels upstanding from and hinged to said bottom panel, and a top panel extending between and hinged to said side wall panels, said side wall panels each being provided with an opening intermediate the length thereof and adjoining its top panel hinge, into which openings the tops of containers of two of said rows laterally extend, said top panel being provided with a handle member which is at least partially separated from the material thereof by cuts extending into said side wall panels and spaced from either side of said respective openings, thereby to define straps between said respective openings and the cuts on either side thereof which are inwardly flexible to gripping relation to a container in said carrier in cradling engagement with portions of the container top which are spaced from one another, said side wall panels being provided with end extensions disposed about the sides of endmost containers and separated by narrow slots from said top panel, said slots receiving the tops of said endmost containers and said carrier being provided with means restraining said end extensions in confining relation to said endmost containers.

2. A portable can package comprising a plurality of cans arranged in two longitudinally extending rows, with the cans of said respective rows in transverse alignment, and a one-piece flexible paperboard carrier for said cans comprising hingedly connected top, bottom and side wall panels having openings of substantial size at the junction of said side wall panels with said top panel in the zones of transversely aligned cans of said respective rows, said top panel being provided with parallel cuts at least partially separating a grip member therefrom, which cuts extend into the material of said side wall panels in longitudinally spaced relation to an opening of each of said side wall panels, whereby to define flexible strap connections of said grip member with said side wall panels in zones between successive cans of said rows, all of said panels having end closure flaps disposed in encircling relation to cans at opposite ends of said respective rows, and in which means are provided to hold said flaps in said encircling relation to restrain said endmost cans, there being arcuate slots between the top panel and said flaps which nestingly receive portions of the endmost cans, and said strap connections when tensed causing said endmost cans to be thrust more snugly into said slots.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 634,507 Smith Oct. 10, 1899 1,718,572 Marcuse June 25, 1929 1,772,890 Fuchs Aug. 12, 1930 2,359,298 Brogden Oct. 3, 1944 2,559,948 Currie July 10, 1951 2,571,833 Chidsey Oct. 16, 1951 2,611,517 Fisher Sept. 23, 1952 

